Suppose Yourself In My Place
by sissycus
Summary: Before going on a mission, Fried promises to return for his birthday. When he doesn't return and it becomes clear that he is disappeared, Mirajane decides to take things in her hands. Where is he and will she be able to find him?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm sorry for the grammar mistakes!**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is not mine.**

**This story takes place before the events in Edolas.**

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter1.A birthday without the celebrating person

Mirajane was very excited.

It was Fried's birthday and almost everything was ready for the party. The entire guild hall was decorated. The sweeties, the presents – everything was ready. Mira was finishing the last preparations.

Everyone was in a good mood, rambling and laughing. Wendy was jumping with joy.

"So, which lady will have the honour to dance with Fried-san first?" she asked.

Mira looked at her with a smile and made no answer.

"Do you think that he will agree to dance with me?" continued Wendy.

"Of course he will," replied Erza.

In fact, the only one who was still absent was Fried himself but Mirajane knew that there was nothing to worry about. He should arrive any moment. He had promised her to return for his birthday.

_Flash-back_

_A week earlier_

"_Your birthday is coming soon, so what will you say for a party?" asked Mirajane._

_Fried averted his eyes.__ It seemed that he hesitated how to answer. _

"_I don't like parties and you know it," he replied after a few seconds silence._

"_But think that it i__s just once a year," she reminded him._

_The green-haired mage__ sighed. Obviously he wasn't very enthusiastic._

"_Well then," he said. "Now I have some work to do but I will return for the party at every cost. I promise you." _

_Mirajane gave a smile to him._

_End of flash-back_

Contrary to his habit, this time Fried had gone on a mission alone. His team mates had wished to accompany him as usual but he had refused and had ordered them to wait for him at the guild. So now Bixlow and Evergreen were in the hall, waiting for their captain to arrive. They were no less excited that the others.

Despite Fried's absence, the party had practically begun already.

Mirajane looked at the clock. It was passing 8 o'clock p.m. She cast a glance at the closed door.

"When will Fried-san arrive?" asked Juvia.

"Any moment… In fact, he should have already been here," replied Mirajane.

Juvia was about to say something more but just then Gray came close to her and asked her for a dance. That was enough for her to forget her words. Her face brightened up and she took the hand he offered her.

"It will be better for Fried to come soon or he won't be able to taste these wonderful sweeties!" said Natsu. He and Happy were started eating the sweeties and their quantity decreased with every passing minute.

"Aye, sir!" exclaimed the flying cat.

"Besides, he will miss the dances!" added Bixlow enthusiastically. His smile was larger than ever.

"The dances, the dances!" said his dolls, repeating his words as usual.

Bixlow turned to face Lucy. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

"What?" That was the only word Lucy managed to pronounce. She didn't believe her ears. At the first moment she thought that he was kidding with her. The blonde girl couldn't imagine that man dancing.

Without waiting for her consent, Bixlow grabbed her hands and span her around him. Lucy was too shocked to put up any resistance.

Natsu's eyes sparkled with fire. He reached his hand and he was about to say something but he couldn't because his mouth was filled with sweeties at the moment. Only a muffled muttering escaped from his throat.

Loke, who was also there, gnashed his teeth. His face blushed and he clenched his hands in fists.

"This is the height of impudence! This man really has no manners! Is this a way to ask a lady for a dance?" he said through clenched teeth.

Bixlow made no answer. He just laughed in his manner as if their reaction gave a big pleasure to him.

Mirajane didn't pay much attention to them. She looked at the door where Fried should come from.

-ooo-

_Three hours later_

Mirajane didn't understand why Fried was still absent. He should have arrived already… What could have happened? Maybe his unwillingness to be at the party had taken an upper hand and he had decided to not come? But that was impossible… He had promised her! His words echoed in her mind: _"I will return for the party at every cost." _And whatever he was, he was always true to his word and she knew it.

The other guild members had also lost their high spirit. Their disappointment was more than obvious.

"Well, obviously Fried isn't going to appear," Levy said despondently.

"It seems so," added Natsu.

"Aye…" Happy whispered.

"That was a birthday without the celebrating person… Anyway, at least the sweeties were delicious!" stated the fire mage but the others paid no attention to him.

"But why is Fried still absent? What can be the reason? Maybe he has forgotten about the party?" wondered Evergreen.

"No way! He couldn't forget about his own birthday!" declared Bixlow.

"He couldn't, he couldn't!" repeated his dolls.

"Or something unexpected had happened during his mission?" whispered Mirajane. She cast a glance at the unopened presents. "Something or someone had prevent him from coming…?"

"Don't worry, he will probably come tomorrow morning," said Erza. "But it's a pity for all our preparations…"

Mirajane sighed.

The party finished in much lower spirit than it had begun.

**What do you think about the beginning? ****Please let me know! **

**Review please****, please, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Here is the next chapter. ****Please enjoy!**

Chapter 2. Two men, vanished from the face of the earth

Contrary to Erza's words, Fried didn't arrive in the next morning. Days were passing by, and he was sill absent.

Mirajane's bewilderment turned to anxiety bit by bit.

Before his departure from the guild, Fried had mentioned that he had to visit a small town in the north of Magnolia. But he hadn't explained what exactly his job was.

Where could he be? Maybe he was still in that town? Why didn't he come back? Why didn't he contact with his team mates or any of the other guild members at least?

These questions gave Mirajane no peace. The lack of news was the worst possible thing.

A bright idea (as it seemed to her) crossed her mind a few days later.

"Can you reveal Fried's location through your cards?" she asked Cana Alberona.

Cana tried to do it but all her efforts were worthless. Her cards were unable to answer the question where Fried was.

"It is useless!" the brown-haired girl said. "I can't understand where he is! My cards don't tell me anything about him. Maybe the place where he is at the moment is protected with some kind of magic…"

"Something has happened to him… There is no other explanation! Goodness! Who knows what is going on with him now? Who knows if he is alive and well?" Mirajane said to herself. These thoughts were unbearable for her. She was unable to think about anything else.

Despite her efforts to hide her emotions, the other guild members noticed that she was extremely worried and distracted. They guessed what the reason was.

"Don't worry, Mira-san. I'm sure that Fried is okay. He is strong enough and he knows how to look after himself," Lucy tried to reassure her.

"I know that he is strong, Lucy," Mirajane answered with a sigh. "But this prolonged absence is very strange. He had promised to return for his birthday party! And he is not a man who breaks his word! That is why I think that something has happened to him. I'm afraid that he might be in trouble."

As it was to be expected, Evergreen was not less concerned than Mira. She just couldn't stay still. She entreated Bixlow again and again to go and search for Fried. They carried on one and the same conversation at least four times a day.

"He ordered us to wait for him at the guild and you know it," repeated Bixlow. "So we must stay _here_!"

"Here, here!" his dolls said, repeating his words.

"Yes, but… what if he is in trouble? Maybe he needs our help! We are his team mates, after all! We must try to find him!" she insisted.

On the seventh day after Fried's birthday Bixlow yielded to her entreaties.

"Very well," he said. "I will go and search for him. You will wait for us here."

All Evergreen's insistences to accompany him were a waste of time. He ordered her to stay at the guild.

"When you get some news about Fried, please let me know immediately," said Mirajane to Bixlow before his leaving.

"I won't forget," he promised.

"Be careful and try to return as soon as possible," added she.

-ooo-

Bixlow's departure to search for Fried didn't make things better. On the contrary, the situation became even worse.

The days were passing by one after another, and Bixlow didn't return.

He has vanished without any trace.

Had he managed to find Fried? Or he was in trouble himself? Most probably, yes, because there was no news from him.

Fried's disappearing was strange itself but now Bixlow was also missing. That was far too much. What could be the reason? Both of them couldn't just vanish from the face of the earth! What had happened to them?

Evergreen's anxiety increased with every passing day. On the seventh evening after Bixlow's departure her nerves couldn't stand any more. She was just desperate. It was obvious that the uncertainty was an unbearable torment for her.

"My poor team mates! First Fried… and now Bixlow too… Who knows what is going on with them! Who knows where they are! Oh, woe is me! After… you know… after Laxus's excommunication they are the only friends I have left!"

She stopped talking and closed her eyes as if the memory was too painful for her.

"What will I do without them?" Evergreen continued after a minute. Her voice was desperate. She broke out into tears and buried her face in her hands. "Why is this happening to me? Why? What an unhappy creature I am!" she added under her breath.

The other guild members looked at each other, and were silent. They didn't know what to say and how to console her. They knew how attached Evergreen was to her team mates and understood her emotions.

"It's not so, Evergreen," said Gray finally in an attempt to console her. "You are not alone. We are your friends too. Don't forget that. We will help you to find your team mates."

Erza nodded. "That's right. So don't cry. We will find them."

"So our new mission will be "Find the male part of the Raijinshuu!" Natsu exclaimed enthusiastically. "That will be interesting! I'm all fired up!"

"Aye, sir!" added Happy.

Just one glance from Erza was enough to make them stop talking.

"Shut up, boys!" the red-haired mage ordered them. "It's not time for such jokes. Don't you see that Evergreen is worried?"

Hearing the entire conversation, Mirajane bit her lips. A strange expression appeared on her face but she didn't say anything. Her hands were trembling and she nearly dropped the glass she held. It took a great effort to her to overmaster her emotions and to continue doing her work.

**What do you think about this chapter? ****Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry for the late update! Please forgive me. I'm really very busy these days and I haven't enough time to write!**

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 3. Mirajane asks for a favour

_A few hours later_

It was getting on for midnight and nothing broke the silence in the guild.

Mirajane was so nervous that she just couldn't stay still. She was walking across her room. She didn't want to sleep because terrible nightmares tortured her since the night of the ill-fated birthday… and the most of them included Fried Justine.

The girl cast a glance at the unopened presents that she had prepared for his birthday. Tears rose in her eyes. She remembered how she had packed them up. She had been so happy then…

Her imagination depicted all sorts of accidents that could have happened to Fried… and each and every one of them made her creep. But nothing was more terrible than the unknown.

Mirajane realized for the first time that if something had happened to Fried, she couldn't endure it. She bit her lips and forced back her tears.

The truth was that she felt an overmastering desire to find the captain of Raijinshuu, to understand what was going on with him. But how could she do it? Maybe she should go with Natsu's team and Evergreen to search for him? That was quite impossible… She had her duties at the guild. Besides, Elfman would be against that idea. Mirajane knew how much her brother loved her. After Lisanna's death, she was the only relative he had left. Elfman would be worried about her.

The thought about her little sister made Mira sight. She had lost her… and maybe now she was about to lose Fried too. No, she couldn't let that happen!

She couldn't stay passive. She had to do something. The question was… what?

"I must take things in my hands. But what should I do? What should I do?" Mira asked herself again and again.

She sighed and fell back on her bed. It seemed to her that her head was about to burst. Her headache was unbearable. She pressed her hands against her temples.

If only she could…

Then an idea flashed across her mind. Yes, there was something she could do.

The girl jumped as if she had got an electric shock.

"That's right! This is the decision! How couldn't I guess earlier?" she whispered. Her eyes sparkled. At the next moment she stopped as if her enthusiasm had chilled. Her face darkened again.

"The most important thing is… Who should I ask for this favour?" Mira remained stone-still for a minute. "Erza, of course… But what if she doesn't agree? Well, I will understand soon… I have to talk with her right now!" she said to herself. She looked like a person who had made a grim resolve.

Mirajane turned her steps towards the door and left her room.

-ooo-

Erza Scarlet was sitting alone in her room. She was preparing to sleep – she knew that the next day would be a long one – when she heard a weak sound. Someone was knocking on her door.

"Who can be at this time?" she wondered.

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked the red-haired girl in a loud voice.

"It's me, Mirajane," whispered a female voice. "Please let me in, Erza. I have to talk with you in private."

"Mira? What does she want?" wondered Erza. She was tired and was in no mode for conversations at the moment but she couldn't refuse. She opened the door and Mirajane entered the room.

The red-haired mage stared at the other girl for a few seconds.

"Take a seat," she offered.

Mirajane seat herself without saying a single word.

Titania settled in a chair in front of her. She looked cautiously at her guest and noticed that there was no trace of Mirajane's usual smile. On the contrary, her face was so pale that its colour resembled that of her hair. Obviously she was extremely worried.

"So, what do you want?" asked Erza. "And can't it wait until tomorrow morning? It's late and…"

"It really can't wait."

The red-haired girl arched her eyebrows. "Then it must be something of a great importance, I guess."

"Indeed it is… At least for me," Mira said and sighed.

Silence ensued. It seemed that Mirajane didn't know how to explain the aim of her visit. Without looking at Erza, she sighed again. Her hands were trembling nervously.

"I'm really sorry for coming here and troubling you at this time…" she said finally but Erza interrupted her words.

"There is no need for you to make excuses. You are already here, so I'm waiting to hear what you want from me. Now, will you explain me or not?"

Mirajane swallowed with difficulty. "I want to ask you for a favour."

A favour? Now Titania was really astonished. That was the last thing she expected to hear.

Mira hesitated for a second, and then continued: "But it is a secret, so please don't tell about it to anyone! Please give me your word."

"Of course I won't tell anyone. Don't worry about that. What kind of favour are you talking about?" asked Erza.

"Well, it may seem strange to you… In a few words…"

**I will try to update the next chapter tomorrow!**

**I will be very grateful if you send me a review! ****Review please, please, please! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the review!**

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 4. An unusual behaviour

Ten minutes later the door of Erza's room opened again.

Mirajane left the room and stopped for a second on a doorstep. Her expression was much calmer now… as if the conversation with Erza had soothed her nerves.

"Thank you once more!" Mira said. A trace of smile appeared on her lips. "Now I'm leaving you. It's late and you probably want to get some sleep."

The red-haired mage nodded and closed the door.

What the girls didn't know was that just a few seconds before Mirajane's leaving a human figure withdrew noiselessly from Erza's door and disappeared in the dark corridor.

This person, whoever it was, had heard each and every word of the conversation between Erza and Mirajane. There was no doubt about it. (1)

-ooo-

Early in the next morning – the sun has just risen – Natsu and Happy entered the guild hall for the morning coffee.

Usually no one took a breakfast earlier than them but now they saw that Evergreen was already there. Her face was extremely pale and her eyes were red… as if she had cried the whole night long. In any case she hadn't slept. Obviously she had no patience to go.

The fire mage sighed and swallowed with difficulty. He understood her emotions. If Lucy had disappeared without a trace, he would probably have felt himself in the same way.

_If Lucy had disappeared_… That thought gave cold shivers down his back. He tried to get it out of his mind.

Seeing Natsu, Evergreen was about to say something but he started talking first.

"Don't worry; we will go as soon as possible. The others must come soon."

"In the meantime, let's eat a fish for breakfast!" said Happy. He and Natsu turned with an intention to ask Mirajane to prepare their breakfast.

But what was their surprise when they saw Cana Alberona standing at Mira's place.

"Good morning!" said the brown-haired girl. "Would you like a cup of coffee and something to eat?"

"Why are you here, Cana?" asked the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Where is Mira?" wondered Happy.

"She left the guild earlier this morning. She said she was going to make a photo session for the Sorcerer magazine."

At the first moment Natsu thought that he hadn't heard right.

"What? A photo session, you say?"

Cana raised her eyebrow. "Why are you so surprised? There is nothing unusual. Mira is a cover girl, you know. And before her departure, she asked me to take her usual work here temporarily. I couldn't refuse her, of course."

The pink-haired mage and Happy gave a puzzled look at each other. They didn't expect that. Mirajane had decided to make a photo session right now? It wasn't the most proper time for this… It was really strange.

Cana's voice interrupted their thoughts.

"So, would you like some coffee?" the girl repeated her question.

"Yes, thank you," Natsu answered absently.

-ooo-

One by one, the other guild members came in the hall for a breakfast. Twenty minutes later Lucy and Gray arrived. The last – unusual for her – was Erza.

"I'm sorry for coming so late!" said the red-haired mage.

"Would you like a cup of coffee and a piece of strawberry cake, Erza?" Cana asked. She had entered into the part of the guild's hostess.

"A strawberry cake? No, thank you. I don't like it!"

Hearing these words, everyone turned to look at her. They were really surprised. Since when didn't Erza like her favourite sort of food?

Noticing their stunned glances, Titania bit her lips. It seemed that she realized what she had said. Her face blushed.

"I mean… I'm not hungry this morning!" she hurried up to explain. A forced smile appeared on her lips.

"Well then, the entire team is here, so let's go!" Natsu said.

"Don't be so hasty you hot head! I haven't drunk my coffee yet!" answered Gray.

The Fire Dragon Slayer growled. "Then hurry up! We can't wait for you!"

"What did you say? How dare you…" The ice mage rose to his feet. His eyes sparkled with anger.

The squabble was ready and they would probably start fighting at the next moment. Evergreen was about to interfere – she would beg them to stop their quarrel, there was no doubt about it – but Erza hurried up to stand between Natsu and Gray.

"Please calm down, boys! Don't forget that we have work to do! We must find Fried and Bixlow as soon as possible! So _please_, don't start with your quarrels now," said the red-haired girl.

And strange thing, her voice was so different than usual that Natsu and Gray stared at her, completely forgotten about their fight. She entreated them in a soft voice instead of angrily commanding them to calm down… What was going on with her?

The silence dragged on. Obviously Erza decided that she had got things properly under control.

"That's better! Let's go!" she said and turned her steps towards the door.

The others followed her with their eyes.

"Don't you think that Erza's behaviour is strange this morning, boys?" asked Lucy. "And where is her enormous baggage? I don't see it… She never travels without it!"

Gray nodded. "You are right, Lucy. It is strange indeed."

Evergreen made a gesture of impatience. "Don't pay attention to such unimportant things! With or without baggage, it's all the same! And please, let's hurry up or we will miss the train!"

"That's right, we must go," said the fire mage. "We have no time to lose."

"Aye, sir!" agreed Happy.

-ooo-

(1) For the present I won't describe the conversation between the girls. I will give it later on a flash-back. Also, I will reveal later who had spied Erza and Mira through the keyhole.

**Please let me know your opinion for this chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them!**

**Please enjoy yourself!**

Chapter 5. Follow in Fried's tracks

"Doesn't it seem to you that Erza's behaviour is _really_ very strange today?" whispered Lucy in Gray's ear while they were sitting in the train.

The ice mage nodded. "If my eyes didn't say the opposite, I would swear that this woman is not Erza Scarlet!" he said.

They cast a glance at the red-haired mage.

Natsu was lying helplessly on his seat. His motion sickness was torturing him ruthlessly. His head was resting on Erza's lap. She was fondling his pink locks with a tenderness of a mother or a big sister. Her expression was filled with compassion to Natsu.

Happy, Gray and Lucy watched her, astonished. It was extremely unusual for her to act in this way. As for Evergreen, she noticed nothing because she was lost in her thoughts and paid no attention to anyone around her. There was no doubt that she was thinking about her team mates.

"I h-hope I will have somebody to fight with soon…" The Fire Dragon Slayer whispered but he wasn't able to finish his words.

"Please calm down, Natsu," Titania said in an imploring tone. "Try to relax…"

"Gray, let's fight till the end of this journey," continued the pink-haired boy. He tried to rise but his head fell back on Erza's lap. Even his unbreakable spirit was unable to comfort his stomach.

"Don't think about fights right now. Try to get some sleep, it will help you to feel better," Erza answered. She placed her hand onto his forehead gently. And strange thing, at the same moment Natsu sighed lightly and closed his eyes. Just a few seconds later he fell asleep indeed. Now his expression wasn't so painful.

Gray and Lucy looked at each other. What was that? Was it natural sleep or some kind of sleeping magic? But no, that was impossible. Erza didn't have such magical abilities.

Titania averted her eyes from the fire mage and looked at Evergreen. "Don't worry, we will find Fried and Bixlow, I promise you," she said.

Evergreen sighed. "I hope so, Erza… By the way, what is our plan? What will we do?"

"Well, first we must go to the town where Fried had some work to do. We will ask the local people about him and Bixlow. Someone must have seen them... or at least one of them. When we get some information, we will decide what will be our next action."

-ooo-

They reached the town finally.

When the train stopped, Erza touched gently Natsu's forehead again. He opened his eyes slowly and his unfocused glance fixed at her face.

"We have just arrived, Natsu," she whispered, fondling his dishevelled hair. "It's time to get off the train."

"Oh, thank goodness!" the fire mage moaned unconsciously and closed his eyes again. He was still half-asleep.

Gray and Lucy helped her to take Natsu off of the train and to lay him down on the ground gently. They knew that it would take a few minutes until his dizziness disappear.

"Do you need some help, ladies and gentlemen?" asked a male voice behind them.

Turning back, they saw an unknown man, obviously one of the train station staff. The most notable thing in his appearance was his hair which resembled that of Gajeel. It was long and raven black; it was styled in such way that four or five locks fell over his face, making impossible to see his features clearly.

The hair-style was original and beautiful, and yet… "It must be difficult for him to see through these locks hanging before his face," Lucy thought.

"Thank you, everything is okay," answered Erza. "Our friend takes badly every kind of transportation. He will be better in a few minutes."

The man went closer and bent down to look at Natsu.

At the same moment the Fire Dragon Slayer opened his eyes. Seeing the unknown guy, he remembered what they were came in the town for. Who was that man? One of the local people, there was no doubt. Well, there was a possibility that man to be the one who had captured Fried. Natsu's hot temperament was always the same, even in his state. In his opinion, there was only one thing he could do. And it was done. At the next moment Natsu landed the guy one at his stomach.

The man obviously didn't expect that action. He couldn't dodge Salamander's fist and fell on his back, twisted on two. He pressed his hand against his stomach where he had been struck. A suppressed moan escaped his lips.

All people around them stared at the fire mage in horror.

"Natsu!" screamed Lucy in horror.

"Where is Fried? Answer me, where is he? Where did you hide him? What have you done to him?" the pink-haired mage yelled in rage. "Answer me or you can't imagine what will happen to you and to all people here…"

Natsu couldn't finish his threat because Gray slapped him fiercely in the face.

"You hot head! What do you think you are doing? You can't hit random people just like that!" said the ice mage.

Meanwhile Erza and Evergreen kneeled next to the black-haired guy. The S-class mage lifted his head up gently. For a second their glances met and she saw the shine of his eyes between the locks that covered his face. What was their colour? She wasn't sure because at the next moment he averted his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" she said. "You see, Natsu has really a fiery temperament and…"

"Well said, Erza! A fiery temperament in the most literal meaning of the word," Gray nodded. He was still looking angrily at Natsu.

"It's… It's okay," the black-haired guy said with an effort. He still couldn't take his breath. "Erza? Did I hear right? Does it mean that you are the famous Titania, the Queen of the Fairies?" he added.

"Indeed I am," the S-class mage confirmed. Her voice was calm but her face blushed and she hurried up to switch the conversation. "Natsu wanted to say that we are searching for Fried Justine, a member of the Fairy Tail guild. We know that he had been here, in this town. Do you know something about him?"

"To tell you the truth, you are the second who ask about Fried Justine in the last days. The first one was a weird looking man with five dolls flying around him…" answered the man.

"Bixlow!" Evergreen exclaimed. "It couldn't have been anyone else!"

"So, do you have any idea where these two men are now?" Erza asked impatiently.

**Thank you for reading! Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the review!**

**Here is the next chapter, please enjoy!**

Chapter 6. I hope we won't need to be saved

"Have you seen Fried Justine? Please tell us everything you know! It's really very important for us!" Evergreen said. Her voice was trembling. She wrung the man's hand unconsciously.

"Well, I haven't seen him personally but I know that he had been here, in the town," answered the black-haired man.

"He had been? So he is not here now? Did I understand right?" Erza asked.

"As far as I know, he had been seen to set out for a valley in the north of the town. There is always a mist over the valley and the sunbeams never pierced through it. It is a waste land and nothing grows there, even a grass. The people who go there lose any sense of orientation and many of them never return. That is why we, local people, avoid going there. There are many rumours that the place is enchanted but nobody is absolutely sure about it. I have heard that the famous Mystogan had been there once," he explained.

Lucy and Happy looked at each other. They didn't like what they have heard.

Evergreen bit her lips.

"And that's not all," the man continued. "This place is said to be a haunt of a dark mage. According to the rumours, he possesses some kind of runic magic. Other people say that he knows how to make himself invisible. So I don't advise you to go there or if you go, you must be extremely careful."

There was a silence for a few seconds. Lucy swallowed with difficulty. The man's words gave cold shivers down her back. She didn't like the perspective to go in such a dangerous place. Obviously Happy was thinking about the same thing.

As it was to be expected, Natsu wasn't worried. On the contrary, he was very excited.

"A dark mage, you say? I hope that you are right! It seems like a nice fight to me! I'm all fired up!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. His motion sickness had disappeared and he felt himself filled with energy.

The others didn't pay attention to him.

"Thank you for this information, sir," Erza said. Her expression was thoughtful.

"It was my pleasure. Now, if you excuse me, I have work to do. Have a nice day and good luck, ladies and gentlemen," the black-haired guy said and walked away from them.

The Fairy Tail mages followed him with their eyes. Loosing sight of him, they looked at each other.

"What do you think? Should we go to that valley?" asked Lucy.

"We have no other choice," Erza answered.

"But remember what this guy said. It might be dangerous. Who knows what can happen!" Happy said timidly.

"Besides, if there is someone who is responsible for disappearing of Fried and Bixlow, he must be a mage with a great power! They are among the strongest members of the guild and it isn't so easy to be defeated!" Lucy added.

"What are you afraid of? I'm with you, am I not? So don't worry!" Natsu answered in his usual care-free manner. "Let's go! We have no time to lose! We must save Fried and Bixlow!"

The blonde girl sighed.

"Well then, let's go. I just hope that we won't need someone to save _us_!" she muttered.

"Aye…" Happy whispered. The little cat was the only one who had heard Lucy's words.

-ooo-

_A few hours later_

"Oh, I knew it… I knew that we would need to be saved!" Lucy said.

The blonde girl was sitting on the ground with Happy on her lap. The flying cat looked very concerned.

As the man on a train station had said, there was a mist everywhere around them. They had lost any sense of orientation and had absolutely no idea where they were.

And worse, there was no trace of the people they were looking for. They hadn't met a soul since they left the town.

The hours spent in fruitless searching had chilled even Natsu's enthusiasm.

"I got totally entangled!" he said.

"What should we do?" Gray asked under his breath.

"It's my fault!" Evergreen whispered. Obviously her nerves couldn't stand any more because tears rose in her eyes. "I should go and search for Fried and Bixlow alone! It was my duty! They are my team mates, after all! And now you are here because of me!" Her voice broke and she buried her face in her hands.

"It's not so, Evergreen," Erza hurried up to say. "It's not your fault. We knew the risk and came here by our own will. You know that we are not less concerned about Fried and Bixlow than you. They are your team mates but they are also our friends. So please calm down."

"We will manage to find them and the way back," Gray added.

Natsu cast a glance at the sky as if he hoped to see the sun. Of course, with all mist around it was impossible.

"The night is close. I suppose that the sun is setting now. It will be completely dark soon, so let's stop for today. We will continue our search tomorrow," the fire mage suggested.

"Good idea, Natsu. I'm so tired that I can't walk any more," Lucy answered. "I want to get some sleep. I really need it."

Her wish would be fulfilled soon, and in a greater degree than she wanted. The blonde girl had no idea what would happen during the night and how deep sleep was in store for her.

**Review please, please, please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please enjoy yourself!**

Chapter 7. An unexpected meeting

_At the same time in the town of Hosenka_

Levy McGarden was watching the sunset (the same sunset that Natsu couldn't see due to the mist). It was so beautiful sight that she just couldn't take her eyes off it. The clouds were coloured in soft pink and gold.

She and her team mates had come in the town of Hosenka. They would be there for a couple of days. That was their well-deserved break after their last mission. At the moment Jet and Droy were in their room. They were busy to unpack their baggage.

Who knows why, a thought about Gajeel Redfox crossed Levy's mind. She imagined herself and him, walking on the sunny beach on the sunset. But that illusion continued just for a moment and Levy brought herself back to the reality.

When the sun sank below the horizon, the blue-haired girl averted her eyes from the window.

"It's time for a nice bath before dinner!" she thought happily. A large smile formed on her lips. Hurrying to go outside, on the door she came into collusion with a taller than her woman.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't watch my steps! Please forgive me, madam…" Levy started to apologize and raised her head to look the lady in the face. And when she did, her words stuck in her throat.

That woman's features were well-known to her. And not only the features but also the long red hair… Her eyes widened in shock.

"Erza-san? Is this… Is this you?" Levy whispered. She stared at her. No, that was not possible. Definitely something was wrong with her eyes. Erza Scarlet couldn't be there. She was with her team mates and Evergreen, searching for Fried and Bixlow. Levy had seen their departure with her own eyes.

And strange thing, Titania wasn't dressed as usual. Instead of her armour she was wearing a dressing-gown. She looked like someone who is on vacation.

The S-class mage guessed immediately that the other two members of Shadow Gear should also be around. She bit her lips. It was such bad luck! No one should know that she was not with her team. She had come to the town of Hosenka to avoid any meeting with Fairy Tail members. But now, as it turned out, Shadow Gear was also there.

"What are you doing here, Erza?" the blue-haired girl yelled in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be…"

"Shhh!" Titania gave her a sign to shut up. "Please don't yell! Jet and Droy may hear! Nobody must know that I'm here!"

Levy couldn't understand what was going on.

"But… But if you are here, then who is the woman that is with Team Natsu now? She looked like your twin sister… No one could say that it was not you!"

"That was just Mirajane's transformation magic," Erza explained.

"Mirajane's magic?" Levy didn't believe her ears. "So Mira-san is not making a photo session? She is with Team Natsu, pretending to be you!" She stopped talking, amazed by the meaning of her own words.

"That's right. She wants desperately to find Fried Justine, so she asked me to let her go with Natsu and the others in my stead. I couldn't refuse her. She is really very concerned about Fried. They are… They are friends, you know."

"Unbelievable…" Levy said under her breath. "Who could have thought…?"

"It's a secret, so not a word to anyone!" Erza continued. "Please _don't_ _tell_ _anyone_! I'm counting on your discretion!"

The blue-haired girl was about to answer but just then Jet's voice sounded: "Levy? Are you here?"

Erza turned her head in that direction. "Your team mates are coming! They shouldn't see me, so I'm leaving! Remember that you haven't seen me! Did you understand? _You haven't seen me_! _I'm not here_!" she said all in a breath.

Before Levy could answer, the S-class mage disappeared.

Levy was still so shocked that she remained in the same position, stone-still like a sculpture. At the next moment she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Levy?" Droy asked seeing her strange expression. "Has something happened?"

"Everything is okay," she answered and made an effort to smile.

"But you don't look well!" noticed Jet. "Has something frightened you? Whatever it is, you know that you can tell us!"

"I'm fine. Don't pay attention to me. Let's search some food for a dinner. I'm very hungry," Levy said in an attempt to get off the point.

"That's a good idea," her team mates answered in one voice.

**I decided to insert this chapter in order to explain where Erza is while Mirajane is with Team Natsu.**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 8. An unnatural sleep

_In the misty valley__ (a few hours later)_

In the middle of the night Lucy woke up. It seemed to her that she had heard a weak sound of approaching steps. The blonde girl raised her head slowly.

The others were sleeping. Obviously they hadn't heard anything.

Still sleepy, Lucy cast a glance around her. And then she saw something strange… a fluorescent light in front of her. It was very close to her. She saw it as a vague spot in the darkness… or maybe as two spots. She wasn't sure.

For a second Lucy thought that she was still dreaming. Or maybe it was some kind of hallucination? Who knows why, she was seized with fear. She made an effort to close or avert her eyes, to call Natsu's name, to yell… but all these things were impossible for her. She was unable to move. Her body refused to obey her will. An irresistible force fixed her glance at the light source.

Lucy couldn't take her breath.

"Someone help me! Natsu! Gray! Loke! Help me!" she wanted to scream but not a word escaped her lips.

It seemed to her that someone's powerful will overcame her mind, commanding her to sleep. The girl couldn't rebel against that order; she felt herself absolutely helpless. Her head fell on the ground and her heart's rhythm slowed down. She made a last effort to call for help but without success. Her eyes closed by themselves and she fell into a death-like sleep.

-ooo-

Mirajane (1) saw Fried in her dream.

_It seemed to her that he came close to her and kneeled down, approaching his face to her one. She could see the shine in his eyes. His expression was calm; he gave a smile to her. __She made an effort to reach her hand to him but she couldn't move. _

_Fried fondled her hair gently. _

"_I know why you are here…" he whispered._

_She was about to say something to him…_

And at the same moment a piercing scream broke the silence, interrupting her dream.

"Help me! Please help me!" a female voice yelled.

Startled by the shriek, everyone except for Lucy jumped on their feet.

"What is going on?" Happy asked in horror. "Wasn't that Evergreen's voice?"

Still half-asleep, Natsu and Gray came into collusion and fell on the ground.

"Be careful you hot head!" the ice mage yelled.

"It was your fault!" Natsu answered. "Look where you walk!"

"It's not time for your quarrels, boys!" Mirajane interfered. Her voice was trembling. "Please calm down! We have a problem… Evergreen is disappeared!"

The boys, who had already tore each other's hair and were ready to start fighting, turned to look at her.

"How is this possible? What do you mean "disappeared"? Where can she be?" asked they at the same time.

"There is no trace of her!" Mira said, pointing at the place where Evergreen had laid.

"Let's search around for her!" Natsu suggested.

After a few minutes searching they had to face the fact that the stone-eyed girl was disappeared indeed. Except for them, there was nobody around.

"She cried out for help. We all heard it. Obviously she had been attacked by someone and kidnapped. This is the only possible explanation," Gray said.

"I'm afraid that you are right," agreed Mirajane.

They looked at each other, and remained silent.

The Fire Dragon Slayer ran his fingers through his pink hair. He felt himself absolutely helpless. He didn't know who they had to deal with. Who was that invisible and powerful opponent? There was no doubt that he was responsible for disappearing of Fried and Bixlow… and now, as it seemed, he had kidnapped the third and last member of the Raijinshuu.

"What should we do?" he wondered.

Then he noticed that Lucy was lying on the ground as if asleep. That was strange… It seemed that the entire bustle hadn't wakened her.

Natsu came close to her and touched her hand gently. "Lucy? Are you sleeping?" he whispered in her ear.

There was no answer. The blonde girl continued lying immovably. Her eyes were closed. Obviously she hadn't heard his words.

Natsu was seized with anxiety. That wasn't normal. There was something wrong here!

"Wake up, Lucy! Do you hear me?" the fire mage asked in a loud voice. He took her shoulders and pulled her close to him. When she didn't react he concussed her. It didn't help. She was lying like a rag-doll in his arms.

Mirajane kneeled down next to Lucy and checked her pulse. Was she alive? Yes, her heart was beating.

"She is alive, thank goodness," she said. "But why doesn't she wake up? What is this deep unnatural sleep?"

"What is going on with her? What do you think, Erza?" Gray asked.

"Open your eyes, Lucy! Please wake up!" Happy said, hugging her forearm. The little cat was ready to start crying.

"It is definitely some kind of magic. She is enchanted. There is no other explanation," Mira said. She and the boys looked at each other.

"But who could have done it?" Natsu whispered.

"Lucy…" Happy couldn't hold back his tears any more.

"We got lost and have no idea where we are, Evergreen disappeared, and Lucy is sleeping as if she is dead… What else can happen?" muttered Gray. "Who knows what kind of enemy we have against us? Maybe we should try to find the way back to the guild and to return here with reinforcement? Besides, master Makarov may know some way to wake Lucy up…"

Natsu gnashed his teeth and looked furiously at the ice mage. "Are you kidding, Gray? We can't go back now! Not without Fried and his team mates! There is no time to lose! We must find Raijinshuu as soon as possible! And I'm going to find who is responsible for this unnatural sleep…" He cast a glance at the girl in his arms. "And when I find him, he will come to bitterly regret about it! Oh, he has no idea what is going to happen to him!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer stopped talking and took a deep breath. His eyes sparkled. The thought that someone had dared to enchant Lucy made his blood boil in anger. His expression was so fierce that Happy drew himself aside in horror.

"Whoever has enchanted Lucy, I don't want to be in his place when Natsu finds him!" the flying cat thought.

"I agree with you, Natsu," declared Mirajane. "We can't go back now."

The pink-haired mage nodded.

"But Gray is right, the worst thing is that we don't know who we have against us," Mira added. "It must be someone with an enormous power level. So we have to be careful."

-ooo-

(1) From now on I start to call Mirajane with her true name.

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	9. Chapter 9

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**Please enjoy! **

Chapter 9. The enemy

Natsu didn't close his eyes during the rest of the night. He was sitting immovably with Lucy in his arms. He didn't want to leave her even for a second.

The fire mage remembered Lucy's fears of going to that valley. What did he say to her then? _"__What are you afraid of? I'm with you, am I not? So don't worry!"_ Yes, those had been his words to her. He had promised to protect her… and the result was that she was enchanted.

His rage increased with every passing minute and assumed dangerous proportions. One and only thought was embedded in his mind: to find the person who had enchanted her and to beat him. His eyes sparkled with fire and he clenched his hands in fists. Oh, he was going to teach that coward who attacked people while they were sleeping!

Mirajane also couldn't get more sleep. Lost in her thoughts, the girl was petting unconsciously the head of the flying cat that was lying next to her. She was extremely worried. She knew that the charm over Lucy wasn't a common sleeping spell (otherwise she would be able to ruin it). No, it was something different and more powerful… The man they have met on the train station had said the truth. That place was dangerous indeed. But in spite of all that she wouldn't go back. She wanted to help Bixlow and Evergreen… and more importantly, her desire to find Fried was stronger than anything else.

The night that really looked eternal for her came to its end finally. Fairy Tail mages couldn't see the sunrise but they noticed that the day was breaking.

Mirajane rose to her feet.

"I think it's time to go," she said.

-ooo-

Having no idea where they were, Fairy Tail mages had no choice but to walk at random.

The Fire Dragon Slayer was walking ahead, carrying Lucy in his arms. Gray (with Happy on his shoulder) was walking after Natsu. Mirajane finished the column.

No one was in a mood for talking but there was one and the same thought in everyone's mind: "Will we manage to find Raijinshuu?"

They had walked for nearly two hours when the pink-haired mage stopped short suddenly.

"What is it?" Gray asked.

"It seemed to me that I saw a human figure in front of us," Natsu answered in a strained tone.

"Where is it? Where?" Mirajane asked but he questions were needless. At the next moment everyone saw a dark silhouette.

Natsu's eyes hadn't misled him. A human figure was standing in front of them indeed. It was stone-still and silent and looked like a phantom in the mist.

The Fire Dragon Slayer kneeled down and laid the sleeping girl gently to the ground. For a second he stared at her, then fondled her hair and rose to his feet.

"Happy, stay with Lucy and take care of her!" he ordered.

"Aye, sir!" exclaimed the flying cat.

Without thinking, Natsu rushed forward. Mira and Gray followed him but they couldn't do even three steps when suddenly the boys stopped short. There was no visible barrier but they couldn't take a step more.

"What is going on? What is this? Why can't I go forward?" Natsu asked fiercely, pummeling the air. Nothing helped, even his Fire Dragon's Roar.

Gray also tried his Ice Arrows attack but without success. It was definitely some kind of a trap. The air before them looked like an indestructible wall.

However, it seemed that there was no barrier for Mirajane.

"Didn't I tell you that there is a dark mage here? Don't you remember? I told you that he possesses a runic magic! I warned you to be extremely careful!" the unknown man said sarcastically, approaching them slowly. He wasn't on a big distance but they couldn't see him well due to the mist. And yet they recognized the long black hair, styled in original way.

The Fairy Tail mages realized that it was the very man who had described them how to reach that place.

At the first moment they were so surprised that no one could say a word.

"It can't be!" Gray exclaimed after a few seconds silence.

"You?" Mirajane whispered. She didn't believe her eyes. "Impossible… So this mage is… you? And there is a runic trap here?"

"That's right. Only women are allowed to go forward," the man confirmed.

Looking cautiously at the ground, Gray noticed that there were indeed a hundreds of small runes.

Natsu felt that he was flying into a rage.

"So this guy has really kidnapped Fried and his team mates! And he brought us into a trap!" the fire mage said through clenched teeth. "Where are the members of the Raijinshuu team? Answer me, where are they? What have you done to them you coward?" he yelled.

The black-haired man made no answer.

It came to Natsu's mind that this man was probably the one who had enchanted Lucy. "Oh, I should have beaten this guy on the train station! I knew I should have done it! If I had done it, we wouldn't be in this situation now!" Natsu turned to face Gray. "It was you who stopped me! You idiot… You brainless piece of ice!" He shouted and directed his blow to the ice mage. Gray answered him with his Ice Hammer attack.

Their fight didn't impress their enemy. He didn't vouchsafe to look at them. He was watching only Mirajane.

"Let's see what the famous Titania can do," he said calmly. There was a taste of irony in his words. "Show me your true power! I have heard legends about it! Let's see do you really have right to call yourself the Queen of the Fairies."

In fact, Mirajane hadn't that right. But it wasn't that what troubled her. She bit her lips, thinking what she should do in that situation.

"Now it's me against you, Erza Scarlet," her opponent continued. "It will be a fair fight. There is no one to help you."

Hearing his words, Natsu growled.

"How dare you? How could you say this?" he yelled in rage, completely forgotten about his fight with Gray. "Don't underestimate Fairy Tail wizards! Erza doesn't need anyone's help! She is strong enough! Tear him in pieces, Erza! Do it for Lucy's sake!"

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	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the review!**

**Here is the next chapter, p****lease enjoy! **

**(Please accept my apologies for the poor description of the battle.)**

Chapter 10. All I wanted to hear

Mirajane wondered what she should do. She had a powerful opponent against her; there was no doubt about it. It wouldn't be easy to defeat him. She had to use her Take Over magic. But in that case Natsu and Gray would see her transformation and realize that she wasn't Erza Scarlet. And Mira couldn't let that happen. She had promised Erza that nobody would reveal the deception.

Then an idea flashed across her mind. Maybe the mist would be her ally. If she could recede into the far distance from the boys, they wouldn't be able to see her clearly. Hopefully, they would think that her transformation was Erza's Black Wing armour.

She rushed forward decisively; approaching the enemy, she cast her Satan Soul transformation.

"I may have no right to call myself Titania, the Queen of the Fairies," she thought. "But I will show him that I'm not called the Demon without a reason. I must defeat him for my friends' sake… and mainly for Fried's sake."

And with that thought she attacked the black-haired man.

-ooo-

"Let me out of this trap you coward, I want to fight too! Did you hear me? Let me out!" Natsu screamed furiously but there was no use of his yells. The dark mage didn't pay attention to him.

Gray peered tensely into the mist.

"That's strange… It seems to me that Erza's Black Wing armour doesn't look exactly as usual. Don't you think the same, Natsu?"

"Indeed!" the fire mage agreed. "But it doesn't matter now! Beat him, Erza! You can do it! I'm counting on you!" he cried out.

Mirajane hesitated how exactly to act. She knew that she should try to save her magical energy because she couldn't count on any help; her friends were in the trap and were absolutely helpless. She should use her entire power only at the right moment. But it seemed that the guy was not fighting seriously; he just avoided her hits. His movements were graceful and calm as if he was enjoying the situation. Almost without any magic he used her power… against her.

"What is his goal? Maybe he wants to exhaust my power?" Mirajane thought. "At this rate I can't win! I really have to do something different!"

She tried to make a fake movement and it seemed that it worked. Mira cast a glance at her friends. They had torn each other's hair again and didn't look at her at the moment. That was a chance for her. She decided that it was a proper time to use her true power and cast her Darkness Stream attack.

And at the same moment her enemy's body disappeared as if it had broken down. Her magic hit nothing but the air.

Mirajane didn't believe her eyes.

"What happened? Where is he?" she wondered. "What on earth is this magical ability? Can he really make himself invisible? Or it is something else?"

"Show yourself you coward!" the girl yelled. "Why are you hiding? Are you afraid of a woman?"

"I'm not afraid of any woman, even if she is Titania herself," answered a calm voice behind her. Mira turned back and saw the black-haired man. Without losing any time, she repeated her attack but he avoided it again. Before she could look around for him, she felt a severe strike in her left shoulder. She turned her head but there was nobody at her left side. At the next moment another and even stronger hit from the right made her fall to her knees.

"What was that? What has hit me?" she thought.

Raising her head, Mirajane saw the dark mage. She knew that there was no time to lose. The girl bit her lips, rose to her feet and attacked him again, trying to pay no attention to the sharp pain in her back.

Every time she almost reached that strange guy, he just took a step aside, avoiding her hits. Mira was still not very angry but her wrath was increasing with every passing second and her hits were becoming stronger and stronger. She wasn't thinking about saving her magical energy any more.

"Is this everything you can do, Fairy Queen?" her enemy asked. "Is this Erza's legendary power?"

That was far too much. Mirajane gnashed her teeth. There was nothing that could stop her now. She rushed forward with a growl; her movement was so quick that the man couldn't dodge her attack. With all strength she had left, she caught the guy, brought him down and raised her hand to deal a smashing blow.

"Beat him, Erza!" Natsu yelled as loud as he could.

It wasn't necessary to encourage Mira. At that moment the only thought in her mind was her frantic wish to defeat the dark mage.

Just then Natsu and Gray saw a human figure behind the girl. So the black-haired guy had said a lie. He was not alone. There was somebody else here!

"Watch out, Erza! There is someone behind you!" Natsu and Gray yelled in one voice but their warning was late. Before they could finish speaking, Mirajane felt a violent stab in her back. Her face screw up in pain and her breathe stopped. At that moment she lost her Satan Soul transformation, turning back into Titania's appearance. Another fierce blow threw her back and she fell on her face just on a meter in front of the place where Natsu and Gray were standing.

"Erza!" the fire and the ice mages screamed in one voice. They couldn't do anything to help her. They could only watch.

"Hang in there, Erza!" Happy exclaimed.

The girl raised her head with an effort and saw her opponent who had risen on his feet. Now he was standing above her.

Mirajane expected him to use her exhaustion and to beat her but he didn't do that.

"You cheat! So you are not alone? Is this your true word? And you call this a fair fight?" she whispered when she managed to take her breath.

The black-haired mage obviously didn't want to comment her words. "If you give up now and leave this valley, I will not harm you," he said after a few seconds silence.

"To give up?" Mira's eyes sparkled with anger. "Never! No matter how many you are, I will defeat you all! I will defeat you for my friends' sake… and especially for Fried Justine's sake! I will find him at every cost! I won't leave this place without him!"

"Especially for Fried's sake?" Natsu thought. He was surprised to hear that. It wasn't typical for Erza to speak in such way. Why was she so concerned about the captain of the Raijinshuu? Her behaviour was really unusual.

"Why do you want so desperately to find Fried Justine, Erza Scarlet?" the black-haired man asked. It seemed to Mira that his voice was touched with emotion. That was strange… Since that moment his tone was absolutely cold and indifferent.

"Because… I can't bear even the thought to lose him! He is the only man I love!" Mirajane yelled. In fact, these words escaped her lips. At the next moment she realized what she had said and pressed her fingers against her lips… but it was too late. Everyone had heard her words and now stared at her in shock.

Mirajane buried her face in her hands.

"What have I done?" she thought. "I shouldn't say this!"

"I definitely didn't hear right!" Gray said to himself. He had expected anything but that. That was just not possible!

"What… _What_ did you say, Erza? Is this a joke?" Natsu exclaimed. He tried to say something more but his words stuck in his throat. He was so shocked that he even stopped pummelling the invisible barrier before him.

"Since when does _Erza love Fried_?" the ice mage asked.

As for Happy, he was so stunned that he couldn't say a word.

At the same moment Mira felt that two hands hugged her, raising her on her feet. She tried to put up some resistance but without success.

But strange thing, these hands were so gentle now… Her opponent had no purpose to harm her.

"That is all I wanted to hear, Mirajane," his voice whispered in her ear.

His tone and the pronouncing of her true name made her creep. Now that voice sounded so familiar…

"Impossible!" the girl thought. Turning her head, she stared at the man who held her in his embrace. Her eyes widened in shock. At the first moment she thought that it was some kind of a dream or hallucination. There was no trace of the long black locks; his hair was green now. And now she could see his face clearly. The blue-green eyes, the features, and the smile – everything was well-known to her. It was none other than…

"Fried?" Mirajane whispered. She couldn't take her breath.

**Please let me know your opinion for this chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

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**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 11. The enemy is not an enemy. Erza is not Erza

"No way… Something must be wrong with my eyes! It can't be Fried! He is supposed to be saved, not to fight against me!" Mirajane thought, refusing to believe her senses. Her heart stopped beating for a second. She had lost her ability to speak.

That man couldn't be Fried! It was definitely her imagination!

Seeing her stunned expression, the captain of the Raijinshuu gave a smile to her. "Don't be afraid, it's really me," he said in a comforting tone. "And here is the evidence."

He raised his right hand; watching from a near distance, Mira noticed that his skin was covered with a thin glove. He pulled the glove off and she saw a green Fairy Tail symbol on his hand.

"Fried? That's impossible!" Natsu said but at the next moment another thing got his attention. Happy exclaimed in a loud voice and the pink-haired boy looked at that direction. For his immeasurable happiness, Lucy had just opened her eyes. She was waking up! The Fire Dragon Slayer gave a sigh of relief.

The blonde girl raised her head slowly and cast a glance around her.

"Lucy! Thank goodness, you are awake!" Crying of happiness, the little cat threw himself into her arms.

The runes around the boys disappeared as if they had never been. Released from the trap, both of them ran to the Celestial Spirit mage. They kneeled next to her and Natsu took her hands in his ones.

"I was so worried about you, Lucy!" he said.

"Natsu…" she whispered. Her unfocused eyes met his ones. She was about to say something more but just then Fried's voice sounded.

"Thank you for your confession, Mira. Now I know your true feelings for me," Fried said in a loud voice.

The members of Team Natsu looked at each other. They didn't understand anything.

"Mira?" the fire mage repeated unconsciously. "Did I hear right? Did he say "Mira"?" He was totally confused. What on earth was going on?

Gray was so shocked that he couldn't say anything. As for Lucy, she was still sleepy.

Natsu stared at the woman in Fried's arms. By heaven, it was definitely Erza Scarlet. Yes, it was the red-haired S-class mage, the strongest female member of the Fairy Tail guild and none other, he knew her very well. Why had Fried called her "Mira"? Was it possible…?

Mirajane still couldn't believe her eyes. A memory flashed upon her… a memory of the night when she had spoken with Erza in private. (1)

_Flash-back_

"_I want to ask you for a favour. But it is a secret, so please don't tell about it to anyone! Please give me your word."_

"_Of course I won't tell anyone. Don't worry about that. What kind of favour are you talking about?" asked Erza._

"_Well, it may seem strange to you… In a few words… __I know that you will go tomorrow morning to search for Fried along with your team mates and Evergreen." Mira made a pause. "So please… Let me go with them in your stead!" _

_Erza's eyes widened in shock. She had ex__pected to hear anything but that._

"_You know that Fried is my friend and I… I'm very concerned about him," Mirajane continued. "Do you understand? Maybe he is in danger. Knowing this, I can't just stay at the guild. I have to find him at every cost!"_

_Titania bit her lips. She hesitated how to answer._

_The silence dragged on._

"_Please suppose yourself in my place…" Mira added in an imploring tone. "Will you do me this favour?"_

_The red-haired mage didn't know what to say. Yes, she understood Mira's anxiety. She was ready to agree…But what if someone revealed the deception?_

"_You want to present yourself as me?" she asked. In fact, the question had only one purpose – to gain her some more time for__ reflection__._

"_That's right,"__ Mirajane confirmed and stood up. At the next moment Erza saw herself standing in front of her… as if she was watching in a mirror. Of course, that was Mira's transformation magic. _

_The red-haired mage had to confess that the transformation was perfect. __Mira looked like her twin sister._

"_Jellal Fernandes and Mystogan aren't more identical," Erza said to herself. The thought about her childhood friend made her sigh. If Jellal was in the same situation as Fried and Erza could help him, she would probably do the same thing. _

"_See? This way I can present myself as you. No one will understand that it is not you. Well, do you agree?" Mirajane asked. She turned back __into her usual self. _

"_But if you want so much to find Fried, why don't you just come with us?" Erza wondered._

"_I don't want to give anxiety to Elfman.__ He will be extremely worried about me," Mira explained and sighed. "So he must not know about this."_

"_And how will you excuse your absence? You rarely leave the guild. The master will wonder where you are. And not only him but also the other guild members," the red-haired mage noticed._

"_I have already thought about this. I will say that I'm going to __make a photo session for the Sorcerer magazine. Everyone will believe it. It is something usual for me, you know."_

"_Well then, let it be as you want. You have my consent. But please be careful. Take car__e nobody to understand that it is you and turn back as fast as you can… with Fried, of course. In the meantime I will be outside Magnolia. I will go to the town of Hosenka. I must avoid any meeting with Fairy Tail members until your return or the deception will be revealed."_

_Mirajane's face brightened up._

"_Thank you so much, Erza! I won't forget that favour! I will be careful, I promise!" she said and turned her steps towards the door. _

_End of flash-back_

"Why don't you turn back into your true self? Throw off your disguise. The hiding is useless. I knew that you are not Erza from the very beginning," Fried said in a calm tone.

Speechless, Mirajane still stared at him. Yes, there was no mistake; it was none other than the captain of the Raijinshuu.

Fried not only knew her true identity but he had heard a love confession from her own lips. Realizing that, Mirajane was sized with an uncontrollable fear. For a moment she forgot everything except for her wish to be far away from that place… She screamed and tried to tear herself from his arms but without success.

"Please calm down," Fried said and fondled her red hair.

There was no way for Mira to release herself from his embrace. Her entire body was trembling under the stress of her feelings. The girl stopped resisting. She lost her transformation and Erza's appearance disappeared without any trace.

Natsu and Gray didn't believe what they saw. Before their very eyes Erza turned into Mirajane. That was far too much!

"You?" the boys exclaimed in one voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Mira-san?" Lucy whispered.

"But how… how is this possible?" Happy stammered out. "I don't understand… First the enemy turned out to be Fried, and now Erza is not Erza?"

There was a dead silence for a second.

"You passed the test, Mirajane," the green-haired man said. "Maybe it's time for me to explain what is going on."

"Good idea!" two voices answered. Bixlow and Evergreen appeared behind Fried with satisfied smiles on their faces.

-ooo-

(1) See the end of the Chapter 3.

**Review please, please, please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**The final ****chapter is for all people who sent me reviews until now! Thank you so much!**

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 12. Fried's explanation

The members of Team Natsu remained frozen in shock.

"Well, won't you say anything? Why don't you say "Good morning" at least?" Evergreen asked after a few seconds silence. Obviously she was enjoying the situation.

"Our congratulations, you found us!" Bixlow said. "What, aren't you happy to see us? You wanted to find us, didn't you?"

"Didn't you, didn't you?" his dolls repeated.

"Bixlow? Evergreen?" Happy whispered.

"A test?" Natsu said under his breath. "Did you say a test, Fried?"

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Gray asked. "Would some of you be so kind to explain what on earth is going on? By heaven, I really don't understand anything!"

"The truth is that nobody had kidnapped me or my team mates. On the contrary, I planned everything!" Fried declared. "And there is one and only reason for all this. I wanted to know your true feelings for me, Mira." He remained silent for a second. "In a few words, my wish was to hear a love confession from your own lips," he added.

"Your wish was to hear…" Mira's words stuck in her throat. Her face was as white as her hair. She felt weakness in her feet. If he didn't hold her, she would fall to the ground.

"Well, I put you to the test. I just wanted to understand what you will do if you think that I'm in danger," Fried continued. "And I must confess that I'm not disappointed. In fact, you exceeded all my expectations! You passed through the mill for me!"

The girl tried to get breathe but she couldn't.

"What? Everything had been a frame-up? Did I understand right?"

"That's right," confirmed the green-haired mage.

Mirajane turned to look at the other two members of the Raijinshuu.

"Did you know about this?" she asked.

Bixlow burst in laughter. "Did we know?" he almost yelled. "What is this question of yours? Of course we knew! It was us who helped Fried! For example, just a few minutes ago you would have broken his nose if I hadn't stopped you by hitting you from the back! Fried couldn't perform his plan without our help!"

"And it was a good plan, don't you think?" Evergreen added with a smile. Obviously she was content with herself.

"No way… You were so concerned about your team mates! As it turns out, all your desperation had been a theatre?" Lucy asked. She couldn't believe her ears.

"Well, it was such fun!" Evergreen answered in a care-free manner. "With my beauty and all my talents, I can be a great actress, don't you think? Everyone believed that I was so worried about my missing friends!" She burst in laughter. "I didn't go with Bixlow because I should keep a sharp eye on Mirajane!"

"Impossible!" Mira whispered. She still couldn't believe.

"I heard your midnight conversation with Erza just before our departure, so I knew that not Erza was coming with us but you in disguise!" added the stone-eyed girl, turning to face Mira.

"But…but you were kidnapped last night," Gray said.

Evergreen laughed again. "No one had kidnapped me! My purpose was _you_ to think so, that is why I cried out for help!"

"And the obstacles on your way were our work!" Bixlow added.

Mirajane swallowed with difficulty. Now it made sense… All unexplainable events had their explanation. Bixlow and Evergreen had helped their captain in his fight against her. And now she realized the true nature of Lucy's sleep. It was just Bixlow's magic. He had taken Lucy's soul under his control by looking her in the eyes. He had forced her to obey his will, in that case – to sleep until he released her from his control.

"So everything has been false? And it means that… There are no enemies to fight with?" Natsu asked. His disappointment couldn't be greater than it was. "This is not fair! I just looked forward for a nice fight…"

"I'm sorry for disappointing you!" Bixlow said with a smile. "But if you insist, you can have a fight with me!"

Mirajane didn't listen to Natsu's complaints. She bit her lips and closed her eyes. The violent emotions in the last few minutes had weakened her up to the point she couldn't even feel rage. She wanted to shout, to give an angry reproach to the Raijinshuu (and more preciously – to Fried) but she had no energy to do it. She could only whisper.

"How could you do this, Fried? How could you…" Mira said under her breath. "Didn't you think about the guild members? Do you have any idea how worried everyone was about you? Suppose yourself in my place… But no, you can't imagine what I endured. I lost my sleep because of you! All kind of terrible suppositions were running in my head. I… I almost considered you to be dead! And as it turns out, everything had been a frame-up!" Her voice broke and tears rose in her eyes. She made an effort to force them back but the tears streamed down her cheeks.

The green-haired mage tightened his grip on her.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked in an imploring tone.

"I can't answer you immediately because I don't know myself," Mirajane whispered. "I need some time to collect my thoughts." Her words were the truth itself. She felt herself totally confused.

A smile appeared on Fried's lips. "You need some time? Very well, we have as much time as you need," he thought. He knew that the members of Team Natsu had no idea where they were but it wasn't the same with him. While he was preparing his plan, he had investigated the entire valley. He could lead them out of that place but he wouldn't hurry up to do it.

"I will take care to stay here until you forgive me, Mira, even if it means to remain in this valley for days," Fried said to himself.

The end

**It isn't typical for Fried to ac****t in this way. I decided that if he had been in trouble indeed and Mirajane had saved him, the story would be too stereotypical. That is why I made the plot this way!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**What do you think about this story? Review please!**


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